Sergeant Eduardo Delgado, a spokesman for the Park Police, said investigators do not know the man's motive at the time. Graphic videos on social media showed Gupta walking across the Ellipse engulfed in flames until first responders arrived at the scene.

Firefighters Extinguished The Flames Image: KrisjanBerzins | Fox News

The Ellipse is a 52-acre park south of the main White House complex that is open to the public. In April, a man was hospitalised after lighting his jacket on fire outside the White House, causing a brief lockdown. The man in that incident sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the Secret Service said at the time.